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Wigan1 - 1Sunderland

Asamoah Gyan celebrates after marking his Sunderland debut with a goal

By Les Roopanarine

Wigan were indebted to Antolin Alcaraz after the Paraguay international headed home a dramatic late equaliser to deny 10-man Sunderland an unlikely victory.

The visitors were left reeling when former Wigan midfielder Lee Cattermole received his marching orders for a second bookable offence on 22 minutes.

But Sunderland's new signing Asamoah Gyan entered the fray at half-time and went on to claim a clinical debut goal.

Alcaraz turned in Tom Cleverly's volley at the death to give Wigan a point.

The defender's late intervention provided a typically perverse twist from Wigan, who - in a league that prides itself on its unpredictability - have become standard bearers in the art of the unexpected.

They battered Sunderland at times following Cattermole's dismissal, creating countless chances - not least when front man Mauro Boselli headed wide of an open goal - and yet not until they had fallen behind, and survived a credible penalty claim, did they manage to find the net.

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Martinez proud of Wigan reaction

Even the equaliser was a study in the unlikely, Sunderland keeper Simon Mignolet punching clear, home debutant Cleverly drilling towards goal, and Alcaraz stooping to redirect it into the net.

It all promised to be so different for Wigan. Sunderland had taken only a solitary point from four previous Premier League assignments at the DW Stadium, so - on paper, at least - the visit of Steve Bruce's side augured well for the home side.

Yet precedent counts for little when it comes to a Wigan side capable of leaving White Hart Lane with three points after losing 4-0 at home to Blackpool and 6-0 at Chelsea.

Far from building on their performance against Tottenham, the Latics offered further evidence that they are the proverbial riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.

Cattermole's second dismissal in four games - he also received a first-half red card in the opening-day draw with Birmingham - should have been a huge fillip for Roberto Martinez's men.

The former Wigan midfielder received a deserved 18th-minute booking for a foul on Mohamed Diame, and it left him playing on a knife edge, a situation in which the often impetuous 22-year-old is rarely at his best.

It took just four minutes for Cattermole's judgement to betray him once again. Ali Al Habsi, the Wigan goalkeeper preferred to Chris Kirkland after his heroics at White Hart Lane, plucked a Jordan Henderson free-kick out of the air and swiftly released Rodallega.

Fighting a losing battle to keep pace with the fleet-footed Colombian along the left flank, Cattermole made a lunging challenge which sent Rodallega tumbling and left referee Andre Marriner no choice but to brandish a second yellow card.

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Cattermole has to learn caution - Bruce

The luxury of an extra man afforded Wigan the freedom to play the brand of neat, passing football favoured by Martinez, and as the opening half drew to a close Sunderland frequently found themselves chasing shadows.

Bruce responded by introducing record signing Gyan at the break, a move which Rodallega seemed almost to take as a personal affront.

Seemingly determined to upstage Sunderland's £13m record signing from Rennes, Rodallega went close twice in quick succession, forcing a sprawling save from visiting keeper Simon Mignolet before flicking a low shot narrowly wide.

Yet Sunderland, their defiance epitomised by the increasingly inspired performance of Mignolet, refused to yield.

When another Wigan chance went begging, Boselli's first touch betraying him after Diame had found him in space in the box, the alarm bells became deafening for the home side.

Sure enough, the outstanding Jordan Henderson wriggled past Diame on the right, swung a beautifully-flighted cross to the far post, and Gyan nipped in ahead of Steve Gohouri to stab home a left-footed volley on the edge of the six-yard box.

The chances kept coming for Wigan, Di Santo standing up a superb ball for Boselli at the far post only for the Argentinean to head wide with the goal at his mercy.

Martinez swiftly put Boselli out of his misery, withdrawing him in favour of Cleverly, the midfielder on loan from Manchester United.

It was to prove a crucial substitution, given Cleverly's role in Wigan's equaliser three minutes from time.

But while Wigan were ultimately good value for their point, Bruce could be forgiven for feeling that his side should have been safe long before Alcaraz stooped to conquer, replays suggesting that Emerson Boyce was lucky to escape censure when Cristian Riveros's diving header deflected off his raised hand.

Wigan manager Roberto Martinez:

""In my eyes the early sending-off was the worst thing that could have happened.

"Sunderland didn't have to think after that, they organised themselves and played well on the counter.

"But for us, it was all about the reaction.

"Sunderland got bodies behind the ball extremely well, but we got better as a team and got another point."

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce:

"If someone had said when Lee Cattermole got sent off that we could take a point, we would have.

"I've got no complaints about the sending off. Lee's got a terrific attitude, but he has to learn that once you've got a yellow card, you can't afford to take a risk.

"The one piece of magic we produced in the game led to a goal, and it's a shame we couldn't hold on.

"Gyan [Asamoah] was only here with us on Friday, but we've made huge changes to the side and we need time now."

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